This invention relates to a connector with a shaking prevention structure, and more particularly to a connector which has a structure for preventing a relative shaking movement between a male connector housing and a female connector housing in their mutually-fitted condition, thereby reducing wear of electrical contact portions of female and male terminals within the two connector housings.
FIGS. 13 and 14 show a related connector with a shaking prevention structure (see, for example, JP-A-2002-198127 (Pages 3 and 4, FIGS. 4 and 6)).
This connector 61 includes one connector 63 receiving female terminals 62, and the other connector 65 receiving male terminals 70. Shaking prevention projections 67 are formed integrally on an inner surface of an outer hood portion 66 of the one connector housing made of a synthetic resin, and an outer surface of the other connector housing 68 is held in close contact with the surfaces of the shaking prevention projections 67, thereby preventing the two connectors 63 and 65 from shaking relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction of fitting of the two connectors (that is, a direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction).
The one connector housing includes an inner housing 64 of the male type, and the hood portion 66 of a generally rectangular tubular shape disposed around the inner housing 64, and the female terminals 62 are received within the inner housing 64. The female terminals 62 are retained in a double manner by a front holder 69 made of a synthetic resin. A waterproof packing 71 is mounted on a proximal end portion of the inner housing 64. Each of the shaking prevention projections 67 has a generally rectangular or oblong shape.
The other connector housing 68 is inserted between the hood portion 66 and the inner housing 64. FIG. 14 shows a condition immediately before a completely-fitted condition is achieved. Simultaneously when the two connector housings are fitted together, each mating pair of female and male terminals 62 and 70 are connected together, and a distal end portion of the other connector housing 68 is held in intimate contact with the waterproof packing 71, and a lock arm 72 on the hood portion 66 is engaged with an engagement projection on the other connector housing 68, so that the two connectors are locked to each other. Simultaneously with these actions, a relative shaking movement between the hood portion 66 of the one connector housing and the other connector housing 68 in the direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction is prevented by the prevention portions 67, and therefore wear of electrical contact portions of the female and male terminals 62 and 70 due to vibrations developing, for example, during the travel of a vehicle is reduced.
In the above related connector, however, although the shaking movement in the direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction is prevented, a shaking movement in the connector fitting direction is not prevented, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that wear, etc., of the female and male terminals 62 and 70 due to vibrations during the travel of the vehicle and also to vibrations of a nearby equipment, an engine and so on is not completely overcome. And besides, although the relative movement between the hood portion 66 of the one connector housing and the other connector housing 68 is prevented, a relative movement between the inner housing 64 (which is an important portion serving as a terminal receiving portion) of the one connector housing and the other connector housing 68 is not directly prevented, and therefore each mating pair of female and male terminals 62 and 70 are liable to shake relative to each other, which has led to a fear that wear of the two terminals 62 and 70 is not completely overcome. Furthermore, when the connector is used for a long period of time, there is a fear that the shaking prevention portions 67 are subjected to wear and compression deformation by vibrations developing, example, during the travel of the vehicle, so that a relative shaking movement between the two connector housings in the direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction develops.
It may be proposed to interpose a ring-like shaking prevention member between the two connector housings so as to prevent at least one of the shaking movements developing respectively in the connector fitting direction and in the direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction. However, when there is used such a separate member (that is, the shaking prevention member), there have been encountered problems that a relative shaking movement between the two connector housings is not directly prevented, which results in an inadequate vibration-resistant performance, that the vibration-resistant performance is not stable due to a variation in dimensional accuracy of the shaking prevention member, and that a connector-fitting load is increased by a sliding resistance developing between the shaking prevention member and the two connector housings.